Anxiety is a common problem among Americans, and drugs like benzodiazepine are commonly used to treat it.

Not only can these drugs cause withdrawal symptoms, but they also lead to a host of health problems that include memory loss, hip fractures, and impaired concentration, which further develop into unnecessary stress and expenses.

Instead, the underlying cause of anxiety can be dealt with using natural stress management methods, like the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Another method worth trying is aromatherapy.

Research has shown that treating stress with essential oils is effective, plus has minimal risks involved. If you're interested in trying this out, you can start out by using geranium oil.

What Is Geranium Oil?

Geranium is a perennial shrub with small pink flowers and pointy leaves that is native to South Africa. Out of the many varieties of the plant, Pelargonium graveolens is the source of the essential oil. The oil is widely used in aromatherapy and contains a number of beneficial compounds.

Geranium oil is often compared to the rose essential oil because they share almost the same therapeutic traits. In fact, geranium is considered the "poor man's rose" and its oil is often the alternative to the more expensive rose oil.

There are several varieties of geranium oil, depending on where they are cultivated. The highest quality and most expensive type is produced in French island Reunion, called the geranium bourbon essential oil.³